Endless chain conveyer



C. F. BALL Nov. A2, 1954 ENDLESS CHAIN CONVEYER Original Filed April 19 1949 MH, I

2 Sheets-Sheer l CHARLES F BALL ATTORNEY l i F. BALL vI'EINLESS CHAIN coNvEYER .y Ngv. 2,1954

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 original Filedpriiivf-:19457;

INVENTOR:

CHARLES F BALL BY: ZZ l ,l

ATTORNEY.

United States PatentO 2,693,268 ENDLESS CHAIN CONVEYER Divided and this application March 1, 1951, Serial No. 213,365

Franklin, Pa., assignor toJoy Manua corporation of 6 Claims. (Cl. 198-65) This invention relates to conveyors and more particularly to an endless chain conveyor.

In endless chain conveyors of cially4 those used in conveying loose materials such as loose coal or the like in mines, it is practically impossible to deect the material from the conveyor without clogging and resultant possible jamming and breakage. This is due to the relatively conveyor chain from which the deflector cannot effectively dislodge material and which permit the conveyor to move some of the material being conveyed-beyond the deector thereby resulting in such. clogging and jamming. The present invention contemplates improvements over such known types of endless chain conveyors in that a relatively smooth conveyor surface is provided as the conveyor moves about its guiding means at its opposite ends whereby the material being conveyed may be deected from the relatively'smooth surface ofthe conveyor and discharged from the conveyor without clogging or jamming. The conveyor of the present invention is constructed in a novel manner and is arranged and driven so that a non-clogging, rugged and relatively vertically compact design is obtained, completely eliminating the .inherent disadvantages which conventional chain conveyors frequently present. It is also possible with the conveyor of the present invention to discharge material onto an associated conveyor disposed at the same elevation with its discharge end so that the deflected material may pass directly from one conveyor to the other without gravity discharge or intervening conveying means.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved endless chain conveyor. Another object is to provide an improved endless conveyor having novel features of construction, together with improved driving means for the conveyor chain. A further object is to rovide an improved endless chain conveyor having deector means associated therewith, together with improved interitting conveyor elements which cooperate as they pass about their guiding means to provide-a smooth conveyor surface with which the deiiector means cooperates. A still further object is to provide an improved endless chain conveyor and cooperating deector means whereby the conveyor may discharge onto an associated conveyor disposed at the same height without the intermediation of a gravity discharge or auxiliary conveying means. Another object is to provide an improved endless chain conveyor having novel features of construction. These and other objects and advantages of the inventionv will, however, hereinafter more fully appear in the course of the ensuing description.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No. 86,516, filed April 9, 1949.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of an endless chain conveyor constructed in accordance with a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing one of the driving sprockets for the conveyor chain.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the conveyor.

known types and espe- I large spaces within the moving respectively on lines 5-5 and k11 is guided for circulation in guideways Patented Nov. 2, 1954 Figs. 5 and 6 are detail vertical sectional views taken 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail cross sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4, showing one of the hingeconnections between the chain elements.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a pair of adjacent links of the conveyor chain.

In this illustrative construction, as shown in the drawings, a fraine 1 carrying a horizontal transverse conveyor 2 has a longitudinal endless chain conveyor 3 associated therewith in a position to discharge thereon, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The conveyor 3 has a frame 4 mounted on the frame 1 to swing in vertical planes about a transverse pivot and has a front shovel or scraper 5 for directing loose material onto the outer receiving end of the conveyor 3. Extensible hydraulic jacks 6 connected between the frames 1 and 4 serve to swing the frame 4 about its pivot relative to the frame 1 and to hold the same in adjusted position. The conveyor 3 when in its horizontal position shown is disposed at substantially the same elevation as the conveyor 2.

Now referring to the improved endless chain conveyor 3 it will be noted that the latter comprises a transverse drive shaft 8 coaxial with the conveyor frame pivot, and to which a drive sprocket 9 (Fig. l), driven by a motor driven chain 10, is secured. VAn endless conveyor chain provided by top flanges 12 of the pivoted frame 4, the latter desirably being of a fabricated welded construction. The top run of the conveyor is supported by and is adapted to travel along a top plate 13 of the conveyor frame; and is guided at its inner portion by drive sprockets 14 keyed to the drive shaft 8 and at its outer portion by idler sprockets 15 journaled on a transverse shaft 16 suitably supported at its ends within vertical side plates 17 of the conveyor frame. The conveyor chain is of a novel design whereby the material conveyed thereby may be effectively scraped off or detlected from the conveyor as the lattercirculates within its guideways and about the chain sprockets 14 and 15, without the possibility of clogging and jamming. As illustrated, the conveyor chain 11 is of the closed link type comprising a series of elongated, relatively narrow cross links 18 pivotally connected directly together by continuous hinges, and the outer surfaces of the links are symmetrically curved at 19 so that as the links pass around the drive sprockets 14 and the idler sprockets 15, as shown in Fig. 3, substantially smooth, nearly semicircular outer conveyor surfaces 20 are provided. Each chain link has a series of lugs 21 which closely interfit within spaces between corresponding lugs 22 on the next adjacent links and these lugs have openings 23 which, when disposed in registry, receive rod-like pintles or hinge pins 24 which are secured at their ends to the links by cross pins 25 fitted in openings in the links and passing through openings in the pintles (Fig. 5). A scraper plate or deflector 26 secured to the-adjacent side of the transverse conveyor 2 has a knife edge 27 which lies closely to the adjacent curved surface 20 of the conveyor chain so that any material on the conveyor may be scraped off and deected inwardlyl onto the transverse conveyor 2, thereby substantially precluding the possibility of a substantial portion of the material being conveyed past the deilector downwardly around the drive sprockets 14. A similar deflector 28 is provided close to the surface 20 at the outer receiving end of the conveyor, as shown in Fig. 2. The conveyor chain has symmetrical end projections 30 and the drive and idler sprockets 14 and 15 are so arranged that their teeth engage these end projections in the manner shown in Fig. 3. Thus, the end projections constitute the driving elements of the conveyor chain and receive the driving forces imparted thereto by the drive sprockets 14. By the provision of such end driveprojections 30 a conveyor having a smooth substantially uninterrupted upper conveyor surface, extending between the conveyor side plates, is attained, as shown most clearly in Fig. l.

Each conveyor frame 4 is composed of inner and outer frame portions 31 and 32 having transverse adjacent plane surfaces 33 between which shims 34 may be interposed to vary the distance of separation of the surfaces 33. The frame parts are detachably secured together by iCc `of` the inner frame engaging the ends of said link members bolts 3'5.. By varyingv the amount of shimming, between.

the adjacent surfaces of the frame parts the distance between the axes of the driving and idler sprockets 14 and 1S may be varied, thereby to. vary theV tension of the conveyor chain. The side plates 1.7 off theY conveyor fra-me are laterally reinforced, by transverse bars 3,6". and 37',` the bars 36 extending betweenthe. side pl'ate. portions portion SI1V and the. bar 3? extending between the side. plate portions of the outer frame, portion 321 The upper' plate 13 of' the conveyor frame. and a parallel bottom plate 38 are welded' to the. parallel; bars Thus,l an extremely rugged' and compact fabricated structure is obtained. The sid'e frames of. the frame portions 31 and' 32 have. upstanding, sid'e flanges 39' providing a troughlike structure whereby the material received' on the conveyor from the` front shovel 5 is directed rearwardly substantially without spillage toward the transverse conveyor 2`. While the conveyor 3. i`s. shown in a substantially horizontal position at substantially the same level as the conveyor 2, it will. be evident that the conveyor 3 may be swung downwardly about its pivot into a position ata substantial angle with respect to the plane of the top surface ofthe conveyor 2, in the manner fully disclosed in the copending, application referred to above.

As a result of this invention an improved endless chain conveyor is provided which'. is substantially non-clogging and from which the material being conveyed may be deflected onto an associated conveyor disposedI at substantially the same elevation without the intermediation of a gravity chute or auxiliary conveyor mechanism. B`y the provision of the improved chain link structure a sub stanti'ally smooth conveyor surface is provided whereby the material may be readily deflected from. the conveyor chain as the latter' passes around its driving and' guiding sprockets. The novel chain linkv design with the driverportions arranged at the ends of the links at the opposite sides of the conveyor enables a novel engagement of the chain sprockets with the chain, resulting in a structure which is not only extremely rugged in design. but which is also relatively vertically compact.. These and other advantages of the invention will, be clearly apparentto those skilled in the art.

While there isin this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume inV practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope ofthe appended K claims.

What' I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character disclosed, a frame, an endless conveyor chain comprising a series of articulated closed-link members having symmetrically curved outer surfaces and arranged in close, side by' side, parallel relation along the length of the chain, said link members having intertting lugs provided with registering openings for receiving rod-like pintles to provide elongated hinge connections between said linkA members with saidI connections arranged coextensive with the conveying portions thereof, said link members cooperating to provide a wide substantially unbroken outer surface on which the material to be conveyed is received, said` link members having their outerl ends projecting longitudinally beyond the ends of said hinge connections with the outer surfaces of said'. ends lying within the projected curvature ofthe outer conveying surfaces of said link members, rotary guides about which the conveyor chain passes at the discharge end of said conveyor, said guides at the opposite sides of` said chain beyond the ends of. said hinge connections, and said link members intermediate their guide'- engaging-ends cooperating t'oprovi'de a` substantiallysemi'- circular, substantially unbroken smooth outer surface lying in the surface of a cylinder as they pass around said guides, and deli'ector means cooperating with said`r conveyor and located at the discharge endi ofv said conveyor for deecting material fromy said smooth semicircular surface thereby to prevent material from being conveyed in substantial amount by said conveyor downwardly past said deflector means.

2. In an apparatus of the character: disclosed', a closed link conveyor chain comprising a` series' of elongated interlittingA links arranged in close, side by' side, parallel relation along the length of the chain and pivotally connected. together to provide. hinge. connections coextensive with the conveying portions of said links and cooperating to provide a wide, closed-top surface on which the material to be conveyed is received, said links having integral projecting ends at the sides; of said closed top conveying surface with said ends projecting longitudinally of said links beyondl said hinge connections' at t-hesides of the chain, and drive sprocketsV about which said conveyor chaini passes and having sprocket" teeth engaging said projecting' en'd's of saidi links'. for` driving said1 conveyor chain, ysaid projecting ends shaped for engagementI byt-heI sprocket teeth with the latter projecting between the ends of adjacent` links..

3. An endlessV chain conveyor comprising cooperating elongated, relatively narrow, conveyor links arranged in close, side by side parallel relation'` along the length of the chain and providing a conveyor having a substantially continuous substantially unbroken top surface of substantialwid'tlr, sai'dv links having interlitting lugs provided. with aligned openings, hinge pins fitting said openings for pivotally connectingy said links together,y said inter'tting lugs' and said? hinge` pins cooperating to provide" hinge connections extending substantially the entire length of1 the conveying portions. of said links, said' links having integral end projections* extending outwardly b'eyond the outermost lugsr wholly outside of the remote ends of said: hinge connections, an'd coaxial driving sprockets'` having: their' axes lying within' the orbit of said chain and drivingly engaging saidr projecting' ends of" said links, said endi` projections shaped to coperate with the teeth of said driving sprockets with the sprocket teeth projecting betweenl the endI projections of adjacentlinks;

4. An endless chain conveyorofthe character set forth in cla-iin 3- wherein said links have'y symmetrically curved outer surfaces which cooperate asl they pass aroundsaid sprockets to provide substantiallysemicircular smooth surfaces lying" in the surface of a cylinder intermediatel said integral end projections, andV deflectors at the ends of sail conveyor cooperating withl said smooth curved surfaces for deflecting material from the conveyor.

Si. Ina. conveyor mechanism, they combination comprising an' endless closed-link conveyor chainincluding a series ofhi'ngedly connected? link members arranged in close side by sideparallelrelation along the length of the chain, saidlink memberscooperating to provide a wide substantially unbroken outer surface which at thel top run of thel chain-receives t-he'material` to be conveyed, said link members; having symmetrically curved' outer'surfaces, hinge connections between said? link members arranged coextensive with the adjacentedges of the conveying portions.v thereof forpivotally connecting said' link members togetherg, andi guidingl means locatedV only at the sides of said conveyor chain andr aboutwhich said conveyor cha-inl passes, the outer curved surface ofV each link .mem'berlyingy inl a surface of a cylinder and each of said curved partially cylindrical' surfaces at the top run of the chain extending arcuately completely to its lines of intersection' with oppositely' adjacent link members, said outer curved' surfacesof'. said link members as said conveyor chainr passes along anz arc of aL circle about said guiding means, cooperating. to'A provide asubstantially semireircular'smootn outer' surface lying in the surfaceof a cylinder; said guiding means' comprising coaxial drive sprockets, said chain having imperforate projecting' end portions laterally ofsaid substantially' unbroken outer conveying: surfaceL with` whichl the teeth of said sprockets cooperate, sai'cl sprockets arranged with their aligned axes lying within the orbit of said chain, said projecting end; portions of said link members shaped to liey between the teeth of said' driving' sprockets and toconform with the. sprocket contour, withy a pair of sprocketv teeth projecting. between: the. projecting end portions of adjacent link members. f

6. In a conveyor mechanism, the combination comprisingY an' endless closedflink conveyor chain including a serieslof hinged'ly' connected link. members arrangedrr in close side by side parallel relation: along the: length of the` chainsaid. lin-k members cooperating toI provide a wide substantially unbroken outer surface whichat; the top nunof the chain receives: the material to be conveyed, said link. members having symmetrically curved outer surfaces, hinge connections between. said link members arranged. eoextensive.` with` thev adjacent edges of; the' conveying portions thereof for pivotall'y connecting` saidi link members together, the outer curved surface of each Iinl member lyingin a surace of a jcylinder atrlid each of References Cited in the file of this patent sai curved partially cylin rical sur aces at t e top run of the chain extending arcuately completely to its lines UNITED STATES PATENTS of intersection with oppositely adjacent link members, Number Name Date said outer curved surfaces of said link members as said 5 423,069 Miller Mar. 11, 1890 conveyor chain passes along an arc of a circle at the end 525,526 Anderson Sept. 4, 18 4 portions of the conveyor mechanism cooperating to pro- 614,847 Dick Nov. 29, 1898 vide a substantially semi-circular smooth outer surface 1,224,445 Burpee May 1, 1.917 lying in the surface of a cylinder, said link members hav- 1,330,116 Hunt Feb. 10, 1920 ing imperforate projecting end portions laterally of said 10 2,180,284 Meyer Nov. 14, 1939 substantially unbroken outer conveying surfaces, said 2,351,801 Baumann June 20, 1944 projecting end portions shaped to conform and to co- 2,587,959 Biner Mar. 4, 1952 operate with driving means located only at the sides of said conveyor chain. 

